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v E; E. FISHER 1, 06,993

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VELOCITY OF WHEELED VEHICLES May 26, 1931.

Filed April 2 9 0 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1

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ATTORNEYS.

E. E. FISHER 1,806,993

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VELOCITY OF WHEELED VEHICLES May 26, 1931.

Filed April 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R on E Q R ll IHU m THHHIIII v I N VEN TOR. ZMmsrr ff HJHE/E BY M W b ATTORNEYQ Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES Q EMMETT E. FISHER, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING VELOCITY OF WHEELED VEHICLES Application filed April 2, 1930. Serial No. 440,935.

This invention relates to a method and lap- .paratus for controlling the velocity of wheeled vehicles, particularly for use in conof freight cars in railtrolling the velocity road distribution yards.

- In distributing the cars in such yards, it is common practice to run a string of cars over a so-called hump. Groups of cars to bedistributed onthe various tracks of the yard are cut from thestring at the top of the hump and allowed to coast to their proper tracks. Heretofore it has been necessary for.

a brakeman to ride each cut of cars to control the speed thereof to'prevent' damage due tion tracks.

The principal object of the present invento collision with other cars on the tion is to provide apparatus by means of which the speed of the carscoasting from the hump may be controlled by an operator located at a convenient position near the hump. Thus each cut of cars is given the proper velocity asit leaves the humpto carry men for each cut of cars is thereby avoided.

it to the desired position on its distribution track. The necessityof employing brake- The principal feature of the invention resides in the provision of electromagnets locar. The magnets are preferably distributed cuit is formed through the wheel and the breaklng of said c1rcu1t as the wheel leavesthe magnet tends to reduce the speed of the along both rails of the hump track and extend along the tracks at a distance of four to seven car lengths, depending upon the grade of the hump and the speed required for,the cars to reach the farthest distribution track.

An electrical control .is provided whereby the attraction of. the magnets is varied at will to provide the necessary variadistributions in velocity control. The magnets used are of the general type used as lifting magnets each of which is capable of exerting a force upon the breaking of the magnetic circuit of thirty thousand pounds or more.

Another result of the invention is the fact that the car wheels themselves become magnetized during their passage through the magnetic fields. The wheels, therefore, attract the brake shoes which are free toeng'age the wheels although the brakes have not been set. The brake shoes, therefore, give an added retarding effect upon the speed of the cars. This effect normally ceases soon after'the magnetic field has been passed since the friction of the brake shoes upon the wheels and the shock imparted to the wheels when passing over rail ends soon removes whatever residual magnetism fmay remain in the wheels.

. While the most useful application of the invention isin connection with the distribution hump, the same may also be usedon'the distributiontracks to provide-a final control of speed of the cars thereon. V

The invention is equally useful for other applications where it is desired to control the speed of wheeled vehicles operating in a pre determined path.

Other objects and features of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and 7 claims:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view across the hump track showing in sect on the preferred form of placing the magnets with relation to p the rails." Fig. 2is a planview showing the relation of magnets and rail. Fig. 3 is a wiring'diagram showing the, electrical connections preferred for controlling the, magnetic force of the magnets. 1

In Fig.1 a pair of railslO are carried upon I-beams 11 embedded in concrete 12. A pair of magnets having windings 13 and cores 14 are located between the rails 10 I-bearns 11. The cores 14 are formed with upwardlyextending poles 15 which project to a point adjacent the inner edge of the rails 10. A filler member 16 of non-magnetic material is interposed between each of the poles 15 and the adjacent rail and I-beam to prevent actual contact therebctween. Each of the cores 14 extends through its corresponding winding 13 and is fitted with a pair of poles 17 extending about said winding and fastened directly to the rail 10. By this means a magnetic cir- -uit formed from each of the poles 15 through the core 14, poles 17 and rail 10 whenever the windings 13 are energized. The said magnetic circuit is broken at the point between the rail 10 and the pole 15. The said circuit is closed upon the passage of a wheel upon the rail 10 when the flange thereof engages the pole 15. After the flange of the wheel leaves the pole 15, the magnetic circuit is broken and in the breaking thereof a force is exerted upon the wheel tending to retard the speed of the car. ()11 the outer side of each rail similar magnets are provided having cores 18, windings 19, poles 20 adjacent the rails and poles 21 engaging the rails. The poles 20 are adapted to engage the outer edge of the wheel treads and act thereon in the same manner as the poles 15 act upon the wheel flange. For cooling the magnets, a metallic casing 22, preferably of non-mag netic material, is provided shaped in such manner as to form a trough through which a stream of water 23 may be passed.

For supplying current to the windings 13 and 19 and for controlling the magnitude of said current, electrical apparatus is provided as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. In the said diagram, a pair of power lines 24 and 25 are connected to any suitable source of direct current and are also connected to a cutout switch 26. From the cutout switch 26 a pair of power lines 27 and 28 lead to a reversing switch 29 to be used for reversing the direction of current flow when it is desired to re move residual magnetism from the cores 14 and 18 and the rails 10. Power lines 30 and 31 lead to a control panel 32 upon which there are mounted a plurality of magnetic switches having normally open contactors indicated by the numerals 33 to inclusive. The said switches are of any suitable design adapted to carry the necessary current for the windings 13 and 19 and are actuated to close the normally open contactors by control magnets indicated by the numerals 41 to 48 inclusive.

. Each of the contactors 34, 36, and 38 has as sociated therewith a normally closed contactor 65, 67 and 69 respectively adapted to be opened by the energizing of the corresponding magnets 42, 44 and 46.

A master switch 49 is provided for the actuation of the control magnets 41 to 48 inclusive. The said switch may be of the common drum type shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3 in which four drum positions are indicated by the reference letters, A, B, C and D. A wire 50 leads from the cutout switch 26 to the master switch 49. A wire 51 leads from the switch 49 to the control magnets 41 and 48. A wire 52 leads from the control switch 49 to the magnets 44 and 45. A wire 53 leads from the master switch 49 to the magnets 42, 43, 46 and 47. One terminal of each of the said magnets is connected by a wire 54 to the second terminal of the cutout switch 26. lVhen the master switch is in the position indicated by the letter A, no connections are made between the wires leading thereto. When the switch is in the B position, a connection is made between wires 50 and 51 thus completing the circuit for the energizing of magnets 41 and 48. When the master switch is in the C position, connections are made between wires 50, 51 and 52, thus energizing magnets 41, 44. 45 and 48. WVhen the master switch is in the D position, connections are made between wires 50, 51, 52 and 53, thus energizing all of the control magnets 41 to 48 inclusive.

Each pair of windings 13 with their adjacent windings 19 are connected together in parallel by means of pairs of wires 55 and each pair of wires is connected to a cutout switch 56 for cutting out the group of windings cont-rolled thereby in case of trouble with any magnet of a group or for any other purpose. The first cutout switch 56 is connected to a pair of wires 57 and 58 connected to contactors 33 and 34 respectively. The second of the said cutout switches is connected to a pair of wires 59 and 60 which are connected to the contactors 35 and 36 respectively. The third switch 56 is connected to a pair of wires 61 and 62 in turn connected respectively to the contactors 37 and 38. The fourth switch 56 is connected to a pair of wires 63 and 64 in turn connected to contactors 39 and 40. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth switches 56 are connected in the same manner as the first, second, third and fourth respectively and each succeeding group of four switches is similarly connected irrespective of the number of magnets actually employed. Thus the groups of magnets are divided into four divisions, the first of which receives its power from wires 57 and 58; the second from wires 59 and 60; the third from wires 61 and 62 and the fourth from wires 63 and 64.

In the operation of the apparatus, when no magnetic attraction is desired, the master switch is placed in the A position and no power is supplied to the magnets. When the lowest degree of magnetic force is desired, the master switch is placed in the B position, energizing control magnets 41 and 48. The contactors 33 and 40 are thereby closed and a circuit is formed as follows: 25, 26, 28, 29,

31. 33, 57 the first division magnets, 58, 65,

66, 59, second division magnets, 60, 67, 68, 61, third division magnets, 62, 69, 70, 63, fourth division magnets, 64, 40, 30,29, 27, 26, 24. By means of this circuit, the four divisions of magnets are connected in series. Each division, therefore, receives one-fourth of the voltage supplied upon the power lines 24 and 25.

When a larger magnetic force is required, the master controller is placed in the C position and the control magnets 41, 44, 45 and 48 are thereby energized. The contactors 33, 36, 37 and 40 are closed and contactor 67 is opened. Two circuits are formed thereby, the first of which is as follows: 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 33, 57, first division magnets, 58, 65, 66, 59, second division magnets, 60, 36, 30, 39, 27, 26, 24. v The second circuit formed is as follows: 25, 26, 2s, 29, 31, 37, 61, third division magnets, 62, 69, 70, 63, fourth division magnets, 64, 40, 30, 29, 27 26, 24. By these circuits, the four divisions of magnets are divided into pairs each connected in series. Each division, therefore, receives half' of the voltage supplied to the power lines 24 and 25. Thus the magnetic force furnished in the position is twice that furnished in the B position.

When the greatest magnetic force is desired, the master switch is placed in the D position wherein all of the control magnets are energized, all of the normally open contactors are closed and all of the normally closed contactors are open. In this relation, four circuits are formed, the first of which is as follows: 25, 2'6, 28, 29, 31, 33, 59, first division magnets, 58, 34, 30, 29, 27, 26, 24. The second circuit is as follows: '25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 35, 59, second division magnets, 60, 36, 30, 29, 27, 26, 24. The third circuit is as follows: 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 37, 61, third division magnets, 62, 38, 29, 27 26, 24. The fourth circuit is as follows: 25, 26, 28, 29, 31, 39, 63, fourth division magnets, 64, 40, 30, 29,27, 26, 24. By these circuits each of the four divi sions of magnets receives the full voltage provided by the wires 24 and 25 and the maximum available magnetic energy is generated thereby.

While the above electrical control illustrates a preferred form, other control circuits may be used for varying conditions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for controlling the velocity of wheeled vehicles, including a pair of electromagnets positioned to exert a retarding force upon the opposite wheels of said vehicle, said magnets being positioned with respect to each other to form a substantially V- shaped trough therebetween for the passage of cooling water. V

2. Apparatus for controlling the velocity of a wheeled vehicle including a track upon which the wheels of said vehicle travel an my signature.

EMMETT E. FISHER. 

